Sighting device for anti-aircraft guns.



R. SCH U RMANN. SIGHTING DEVICE FOR ANTI AIRCRAFT GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2. 1912.

Patented OGt. 10,1916.

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APPLICATION FILED AUGJZ. 1912.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIG.

RICHARD SCH'U'RMANN, 0F ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED. KRUPP AKTIENGESELLSGHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY.

SIGHTING DEVICE FOR ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS.

Application filed August 2, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD ScHiiRMANN, residing at Essen-on-the-Ruhr, Germany, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sighting Devices for Anti-Aircraft Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tosighting devices for guns used against high situated targets such as aircrafts. When a target is visible at a very high angle of site, as would be the case with air ships, the firing angle according to the position of the target, as is well known, will then depend to a great measure not only on the range but also on the angle of site of the target. In order to keep track of these relations in known sighting devices for balloon guns, it has been found necessary to use change gearing for setting the firing angle corresponding to the position of the target, which gearing either consists of a guiding member limited by a double curved surface; or else is composed of other gears, the ratio of which agrees with greater or smaller approximation with the ratio of such a curve-gear. The sighting devices of this kind have the disadvantage that they lose the simplicity and unsensitiveness that are necessary for use in warfare and become furthermore as a rule very expensive to manufacture.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a sighting device of the above mentioned character that for practically sufiicient accuracy is free from the enumerated faults.

The invention rests on the thought that within a comparatively small compass of angles of sight, the firing angles for the same ranges, only slightly differ from each other, and that no mistake of practical consequence is made, when it is supposed, that, within a compass of such angle of sight, equal ranges correspond to equal firing angles. If now the whole compass of angles of sight to be considered from 0 to some 70, is supposed to be divided up in simple, comparatively small sections in such a manner, that the same ranges correspond to the same firing angles, it will follow, that it will only be necessary to supply for each single section a separate range scale which is only valid therefor, in order to obtain a sighting device of simple con truction which permits Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Serial No. 712,930.

of a sufficiently accurate sighting of the gun on an air ship.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings where Figure 1 shows a side view of the first embodiment, partly in section, together with the related parts of the mount; Fig. 2, a section along line 22 of Fig. 1, seen from the right; and Fig. 3 a similar view to Fig. 1 of the second embodiment of the invention.

A carrier C for the sight rack D, which is formed as a circular arc, is mounted to swing on the bracket A, by means of a pivot c and a ledge 0 curved concentric around the axis of the pivot, see Fig. 1. The bracket A is connected to the slide carrier B in a manner which may be seen from the drawing. This well known arrangement of the carrier C has been made in order to eliminate the influence of the inclined position of the carriage wheels. The sight rack D carries a double telescope E with the usual two eye pieces 0 0 one 0 is intended for the sighting gunner and the eye-piece e for an observer. A device K for measuring the angles of site, is furthermore arranged on the sight rack D and provided with a cylindrical spirit level 70 The construction of this device, last mentioned, is well known and need not therefore be further explained, it should only be mentioned that said device possesses a small hand wheel 70 by means of which the air bubble in the cylindrical level can be centered, and that the turning angle of the small hand-wheel 70 forms a measure for the angle of site. For setting the sighting to the firing angle corresponding to the position of the traget, a spiral gear F is provided, which is mounted in the carrier 0 and has a small hand wheel 7, and is in mesh with the gear teeth d of the sight rack D, see Fig. 1.

The setting of the sight rack can be read off a drum G which is mounted to revolve on a pivot g in the carrier C, see Fig. 2, and by means of a toothed ring 9 on the pivot g in mesh with teeth (Z see Fig. 1, on the sight rack D is positively connected with the sight rack. .On the drum G are six 45 to 55, from 55 to 60, from 60 to 65. from 65 to 70. The pointer H belongs to the range scales 9 which pointer has a reading edge and is slidably mounted in a lug c of the carrier C to run parallel to the axis of the drum G, and by means of a screw J provided with a small hand wheel 2' can be adjusted to each of the scales 9 (see Fig. 2).

In directing the gun on the target, the sighting gunner has only to constantly keep the sight line on the target by means of the elevating and training-gears; while the observer, measuring the angle of site by turning the small hand wheel 70 later adjusts the pointer H, by turning the small hand Wheel to the particular range scale which contains the measured angle of site in its compass of angles of site; and thereupon adjusts the position of the sight rack D by means of the small hand wheel f until the reading edge of the pointer H registers with the particular division line of the corresponding range scale g which corresponds to the range measured for instance by means of a range finder.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 diflers from the one described, simply therein that the small hand wheel 76 has positive connection, by means of a flexible shaft M, with a screw J and the displaceable index H, actuated by said screw whereby the index by turning the small handwheel 76 will be automatically moved into that position which corresponds to the compass of angles of site containing the adjusted angle of site. Through the use of this positive connection, the service of the sighting device is considerably simplified.

I claim:

1. A sighting device for flat trajectory guns used against high situated targets such as air crafts, said sighting device having means for setting the sighting device for range, and a reading off device, said reading off device comprising a member carrying a plurality of range scales all of them corresponding to the same propulsive charge,

each range scale being valid for another comparatively small compass of angle of site of the target and corresponding to an angle of site lying within the said compass, an index member for reading said scales and means for adjusting the index member to register with any of said scales.

2. A sighting device for flat trajectory guns used against high situated targets such as air crafts, said sighting device having means for setting the sighting device for range, a drum adapted to be turned by said setting means and carrying a plurality of range scales all of them corresponding to the same propulsive charge, each range scale being valid for another comparatively small compass of angle of site of the target and corresponding to an angle of site lying within the said compass, a pointer for said range scales and means for adjusting the pointer to register with any of said scales.

3. In a sighting device for air vehicle guns, said sighting device having a sight, a

member carrying said sight, a level rotatably nqu nted on said sight carrying memb'e r iiiid adapted to be turned about an axis transverse to the plane of elevation, means for setting said level horizontally, means for setting the sighting device for range, a reading off device comprising a member carrying a plurality of range scales, each scale being only valid for a comparatively small compass of angles of site, an index member for reading said scales and means for adjusting the index member to register with any of said scales, and a positive connection between said adjusting means and said means for setting the level causing the index member to automatically register with a scale valid for an angle of site equal to the angle between the sighting line and the axis of said level.

The foregoing specification signed at Barmen, Germany, this 12th day of July, 1912.

RICHARD SCHURMANN. ['L. s.]

In presence of HELEN NUEER, ALBERT NUFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

